Got an Opinion You'd Like to Share? Become a Patch Blogger

For the last six months, Sussex Patch has provided its readers with a new source of local news and information about the community. From covering Village Board meetings to focusing on what's happening in Hamilton schools to featuring new businesses in town, we've made sure that we've stayed on top of what's happening in the village.

And this week we're taking another step in the evolution of our website by inviting Sussex-area residents, local officials and community organizations to share their views and news in our new Local Voices feature.

You see, we want Sussex Patch to be more than a news site — our goal is to create an online "town square" for the entire community. That's why we are seeking bloggers to write regular, engaging blogs about subjects and issues.

We already have several bloggers who will be introducing their insights and perspectives over the next couple days, but we will continue to look for new local voices in the community who can share insights that engage readers with new ideas and different perspectives.

What would you write about? It's really up to you. We prefer local issues, but once you get a blog, it's your forum to speak about whatever is on your mind. You can weigh in on politics, sports, the economy — or you could take a more personal approach and write about your family life or hobbies.

Local schools and organizations can use their Patch blogs as a way to get their message out to the thousands of people who visit our site each month. And Sussex businesses can utilize our blogging program to share their expertise.

There's no real commitment. The most successful bloggers are the ones who post frequently, but if you can only do it once a week — or once a month — that's fine with us.

And if you're a bit worried about technology, don't sweat it. If you know how to send an email, you'll be able to write a blog for us. We'll provide you with all the training you need.

If you decide to become a Patch blogger, you will be joining a group of hundreds of bloggers nationwide who are part of the Huffington Post Media Group. We will have dozens of bloggers in Wisconsin alone, including U.S. Sens. Herb Kohl and Ron Johnson.

If you'd like to know more about blogging, send an e-mail to mark.maley@patch.com and we'll be glad to get  you some more details.